Jr. A Terriers terminated

Jr. A Terriers terminated

ORILLIA - The Couchiching Terriers Junior A Hockey Club has been decommissioned.

In a move Sunday afternoon by the Ontario Junior A Hockey League, the Terriers Tier 2 franchise was one of the three teams dropped in an attempt to get down to 31 teams from 36.

"It's been an on-going process by the league over the last eight to 10 months to eliminate teams and try to get down to a more workable number of 24 or 28 teams," said Terriers general manager Roy Micks._

The Bramalea Blues and Seguin Bruins were also folded under the direction of new league executive director Marty Savoy.

"This all started when the Ontario Hockey Association (decided it) wanted to have a 'premier league' ... our league picked it up from there," said longtime Terriers volunteer Dave Dunn.

During lengthy discussions over the past few months, Micks said the Terriers were given a choice by the league - accept the decommission and a buyout (the amount was not revealed), or face new costs next year.

About $160,000 is typically needed to run the team annually and the Terriers faced an extra $25,000 in league fees, plus a $10,000 security bond,

The Terriers management group decided to accept the financial offer from the league.

In recent years, the Terriers operated as a community hockey team, with Mike Kloepfer, Joe Belesky and Stu Garner the main financial backers.

Previously, the Terriers had received major financial support from Orillia businessmen Kirby Wagg and Jim Wilson.

Bill Smith, a former partner in Seeburn Metal Products during the glory years of the Orillia Travelways Junior A team from 1983-1986, had long been a devoted supporter of the Travelways-Terriers organizations.

"It's a sad day for hockey in Orillia," said Smith, from Sarasota, Florida.

In another move to reduce teams, the Bomanville and Cobourg franchises were merged into one team, as were the Ajax and Pickering rosters.